Maybe we’re getting too used to seeing a $200 price for new phones on-contract, and there really should be more variation in prices. When notable phones – like the Thunderbolt as the first LTE smartphone – arrive, we can stomach a little premium price for the bragging rights, but will higher prices for similar phones become the norm? A leaked pricing chart shows that the Samsung Droid Charge will debut on Verizon at nearly $300.

Yes, the Charge will have a nice, big Super AMOLED Plus screen, and yes, it will reach LTE speeds, but does that justify the price? Maybe if it was dual-core or had a 3D (or even just higher-resolution 2D) display we’d be more willing to accept the sticker price, but as-is, it seems a bit steep.

There aren’t enough samples to draw from to say whether or not we have a pattern, but Verizon may be planning on giving all LTE smartphones these same kinds of prices. At least you’re not paying extra for LTE data; maybe this is Verizon’s plan to subsidize investments into its 4G network.

Admittedly, this information could be wrong or subject to change, but if it ends up being true, does this affect anyone’s plans to pick up a Droid Charge?